We have been benchmarking performance of SPEC CPU2000 tasks on
various platforms, using the so-called profile-guided optimizations
during compilation of test tasks for quite a long time (probably since
Intel C++/Fortran Compilers 7.0). We have been using it by default,
that is we assume that it will inevitably lead to higher-performance
machine code. Nevertheless, it will do no harm to make sure at least
once that it's really true. Take also into account that Intel
compilers are initially intended for maximum code performance only on
processors from the cognominal manufacturer (it would have been
strange otherwise), while we use these tasks for testing competing
processors as well ..